Set-top box with interactive features and system and method for use of same

ABSTRACT

A set-top box with interactive features and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, the set-top box receives various types of set-top box data such as information about display-based interactions with the set-top box, information about a plurality of amenities on a residential property co-located with the set-top box, and information from a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device interacting with the set-top box. The set-top box may render a map view of the property based on obtained map data. The map view may include an interactive graphical representation of the residential property and be annotated with at least a portion of the set-top box data.

PRIORITY STATEMENT & CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/138,699, entitled “Set-Top Box with Interactive Features and Systemand Method for Use of Same,” filed on Sep. 21, 2018, in the names ofWilliam C. Fang et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 10,721,2020, issued on Jul.21, 2020; which claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No.62/561,963, entitled “Set-Top Box with Interactive Features and Systemand Method for Use of Same,” filed on Sep. 22, 2017, in the names ofVanessa Ogle et al.; both of which are hereby incorporated by referencefor all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to set-top boxes and, in particular,to set-top boxes with interactive features and systems and methods foruse of the same that provide additional functionality to residences, asan example.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To many individuals, a television is more than just a display screen,rather it is a doorway to the world, both real and imaginary, and a wayto experience new possibilities and discoveries. To enhance theexperience, consumers are desiring televisions with enhanced featuresand content in an easy-to-use platform. As a result of such consumerpreferences, the quality of content and ease-of-use of televisions arefrequent differentiators in determining the experience. Accordingly,there is a need for improved systems and methods for providingtelevisions with enhanced features in an easy-to-use platform for usesin residences and other locations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to achieve a set-top box that would improveupon existing limitations in functionality. It would also be desirableto enable a computer-based electronics and software solution that wouldprovide a television or other display with enhanced features in aneasy-to-use platform in a residential environment or in anotherenvironment. To better address one or more of these concerns, a set-topbox with interactive features and system and method for use of the sameare disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, the set-top boxreceives various types of set-top box data such as information aboutdisplay-based interactions with the set-top box, information aboutmultiple amenities on a residential property co-located with the set-topbox, and information from a proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device interacting with the set-top box. The set-top boxmay render a map view of the property based on obtained map data. Themap view may include an interactive graphical representation of theresidential property and be annotated with at least a portion of theset-top box data. These and other aspects of the invention will beapparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments describedhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of thepresent invention, reference is now made to the detailed description ofthe invention along with the accompanying figures in which correspondingnumerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of a system forproviding residential property management according to the teachingspresented herein;

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of the system ofFIG. 1 within an on-property deployment;

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of the system ofFIG. 1 within a cloud-computing deployment;

FIG. 3A is a wall-facing exterior elevation view of one embodiment ofthe set-top box depicted in FIG. 1 in further detail;

FIG. 3B is a television-facing exterior elevation view of the set-topbox depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3C is a front perspective view of a dongle depicted in FIG. 1 infurther detail;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of theset-top box presented in FIGS. 3A and 3B;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of aserver presented in FIGS. 2A and 2B;

FIG. 6 is a conceptual module diagram depicting a software architectureof an analytics application of some embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a conceptual module diagram depicting a software architectureof an image viewing, editing, and organization application of someembodiments;

FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of a maprepresentation of a residential property utilizing one embodiment of thesystem presented herein;

FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of a maprepresentation of a floor of the residential property presented in FIG.8A; and

FIG. 9 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a set-top box with interactive features according to theteachings presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the presentinvention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, whichcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways tomake and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the presentinvention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, therein is depicted one embodiment of asystem 10 utilizing a set-top box 12 with enhanced interactive features.The set-top box 12 may be utilized on a residential property R, whichmay be a single family residence such as a house, duplex, townhome, oran apartment, for example. The set-top box 12 is located within theresidential property R and is communicatively disposed with variousamenities associated with the residential property R.

As illustrated, in one embodiment, within the residential property R,the system 10 includes the set-top box 12, which as part of anentertainment center 14, has a display 16 having a screen 18. Thedisplay 16 may be a television or any electronic visual display device,for example. The set-top box 12 includes a housing 20. A connection,which is depicted as an HDMI connection 22, connects the set-top box 12at the housing 20 to the display 16. Other connections include a powercable 24 coupling the set-top box 12 to a power source, a coaxial cable26 coupling the set-top box 12 to an external cable source, and acategory five (Cat 5) cable 28 coupling the set-top box 12 to anexternal source. As shown, the set-top box 12 may include a dongle 30providing particular technology and functionality extensions thereto.That is, the set-top box 12 may be a set-top box-dongle combination inone embodiment. More generally, it should be appreciated that thecabling connected to the set-top box 12 will depend on the environmentand application and the cabling connections presented in FIG. 1 aredepicted for illustrative purposes. Further, it should be appreciatedthat the positioning of the set-top box 12 will vary depending onenvironment and application and, with certain functionality, the set-topbox 12 may be placed more discretely behind the display 16.

An amenity status/control suite 32 represents the status and control ofvarious amenities, such as residential amenities, associated with theindividual I in the residential property R. The various amenities mayinclude lights 34, a thermostat, shades, and a doorbell 36, for example.The set-top box 12 may also be communicatively disposed with thesevarious amenities, which may also include a CD/DVD player, and a radiotuner, for example. The set-top box 12 is communicatively disposed withall of these various amenities in the amenity status/control suite 32. Aservice suite 38 represents a set of services associated with theindividual I living or staying in the residential property R. Thevarious services may include maid service 40, pool service, and fooddelivery service 42, for example. The set-top box 12 is communicativelydisposed with these various services.

In one embodiment, the individual I may issue voice commands, such assignals S₁, from a distance to the set-top box 12 in order to controlthe display 16 via the set-top box 12, for example, or interact with theamenity status/control suite 32 or the service suite 38. The set-top box12 is also communicatively disposed with a television remote control 44that includes an array of buttons for adjusting various settings such astelevision channel and volume. In one embodiment, the television remotecontrol 44 may be a consumer infrared (IR), Bluetooth or otherwireless-protocol-based device configured as a small wireless handheldobject that issues commands, such as signals S₂, from a distance to theset-top box 12 in order to control the display 16 via the set-top box12, for example, or interact with the amenity status/control suite 32 orthe service suite 38.

A proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 46 isillustrated as a tablet computer having a touch screen display. Althougha tablet computer is depicted, the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 46 may be a personal computer, laptop,tablet computer, smart phone, smart speaker, or smart watch, forexample. The proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device46 issues commands, such as signals S₃, from a distance to the set-topbox 12 in order to control the display 16 via the set-top box 12, forexample, or interact with the amenity status/control suite 32 or theservice suite 38. In one implementation, an application installed from aserver enables the set-top box 12 and the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 46 to be wirelessly paired. In anotherembodiment, a challenge-response is utilized to wirelessly pair theset-top box 12 and the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 46.

The set-top box 12 collects various set-top box data 50 includingphysical data 52, physical quality assurance data 54, program data 56,program quality assurance data 58, interactive data 60, environmentaldata 62, and smart device data 64. Additionally, the set-top box data 50includes identification data 66 identifying the set-top box 12 as wellas self-diagnostic data 68. In one embodiment, the physical data 52includes the actual hardware specifications and arrangement of cableconnections at the time of installation. The physical quality assurancedata 54 may be physical state data relating to a current condition ofthe hardware and cable connections. The program data 56 may includeinformation about the system software that engages the set-top boxhardware and information about the application software that providesfunctionality relating to the individual's interest, for example. Theprogram quality assurance data 58 may be software state data relating tothe current operations of the system software and the applicationsoftware. In one embodiment, the interactive data 60 includesinformation about the display-based interactions of a guest with theset-top box 12. The environmental data 62 includes information about thenon-display-based interactions of a guest with the set-top box 12. Inone implementation, the smart device data 64 may include informationfrom a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 46interacting with the set-top box 12. In one implementation, theidentification data 66 may include the location of the set-top box 12 aswell as other information derived from the physical data 52 and theprogram data 56, which identifies the set-top box 12. Theself-diagnostic data 68 relates to an application running automaticallyat a regular interval or continuously, for example, that detectsfaults—typically before becoming serious—in the physical data 52, thephysical quality assurance data 54, the program data 56, the programquality assurance data 58, the interactive data 60, or the environmentaldata 62, for example.

By way of example, and not by way of limitation, the physical data 52may be processor specifications, memory specifications, storagespecifications, wireless specifications, firmware versions, connectionto display by type, connection to display by model number, networkaddressing, MAC addresses, or the like. The physical quality assurancedata 54 may be online/offline status, power state, display controlstatus, display connection status, HDMI interface status, controlinterface status, memory usage, unit up-time, hardware installationprogress, or the like. The program data 56 may be user interfacesoftware version, operating system version, settings version, welcomemenu version, and software configuration, or the like. The programquality assurance data 58 may be program guide status, debug consolelog, software usage, and software installation progress, or the like.The interactive data 60 may be guest configuration data, televisionchannel viewing, program viewing, Internet history, program guideinteraction, or the like. The environmental data 62 may be amenityinteraction, lighting status, thermostat status, window shades status,door status, or the like. The smart device data 64 may be geolocationdata, smart apps configured to utilize the set-top box, smart app usage,or the like. The identification data 66 may be the serial number andaddressing information gathered from the physical data, softwareidentification information gathered from the program data 56 or thelike. The self-diagnostic data 68 may be percent online, display outputerrors, High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HBDCP) errors,self-test results, set-top box health reports, or the like.

As will be discussed in further detail hereinbelow, a map view 70 of theresidential property R may be rendered by the system 10 as part of andfollowing the collection of the set-top box data 50. More particularly,in one operational embodiment of the system 10, as discussed, theset-top box 12 stores various types of set-top box data 50 and theset-top box 12 may render the map view 70 of the residential property Rbased on obtained map data, as will be discussed in more detailhereinbelow. The map view 70 may include a graphical representation ofthe spaces and rooms at the residential property R. The set-top box mayannotate the graphical representation of the room with at least aportion of the set-top box data 50.

In one operational embodiment, in response to collecting set-top boxdata 50 from the set-top box, amenity status control suite 32, servicesuite 38, and proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device46, the set-top box 12 has generated an interactive portal 80.Alternatively, in another implementation, the Individual I may press aservice button on a device, such as the television remote control 44 orthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 46, ornavigate a menu to cause the generation of the interactive portal 80,which may be overlaid or superimposed on the program P on the display16, in one embodiment, or partially or fully integrated therewith. Theinteractive portal 80 includes the map view 70 as well as interactiveicons 82, and more particularly icons 84, 86, 88, and 90. Additionally,informational presentation 92 is provided, which includes date and time.It should be appreciated that any number or configuration of interactiveicons 82 may be presented, including an entire screen of interactiveicons 82 or a scrolling feature allowing a defined space to provide manysheets of interactive icons 82. By way of example and not by way oflimitation, the interactive icons 82 may include status icons, controlicons, and service icons relating to the map 70, including lighting,security alarm systems, garage doors, front doors, hot-water heaters,sump pumps, door bells, pet bowls, HVAC systems, and entry points, forexample. Further, it should be appreciated that the map view 70 may bedisplayed in some embodiments independently of the interactive portal80.

In the embodiment shown, the icon 84 provides interaction with thelighting system to control the lights in the residential property R. Theicon 86, a status icon initially generated from receipt of the signal S₄at the set-top box 12, which provided interactive data 60, indicatesthat a light bulb needs replacement in the kitchen, based on the mapview 70. The icon 88 is a management icon providing for a servicerequest, and actuation of the icon 88 by way of a voice command by theindividual I, the television remote control 44, or the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 46, for example,generates, by way of the set-top box 12, a maintenance request insubstantially real time. The maintenance request may be sent tohousehold member or other individual charged with lightbulb replacement.The icon 90, in this instance, indicates that the household 90 is out oflight bulbs and actuation of the icon 90, which executes a productfulfillment, orders the appropriate lightbulb from a third-partyservice.

As shown, the individual I views the interactive portal 80, includingthe map view 70 and the interactive icons 82. After viewing the map view70, the individual I utilizes the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 46 to send an interactive instruction in the form ofa command to the set-top box 12 to actuate icon 88 to order maintenanceof the lightbulb by, in one implementation, adding the lightbulbreplacement to a “honey-do” list or causing the set-top box 12 to send atext message to the individual responsible for lightbulb replacement.

The interactive icons 82 may be words, graphical representations or acombination of words and graphical representations, for example. In oneimplementation, the interactive icons 82 and informational presentation92 may be language independent. In this manner, the set-top box 12 isproviding various environmental support without the need for additionaltechnology. Further, complex systems that require additional trainingare not needed as the systems and methods presented herein areintuitive.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, the system 10 may be deployed as discussed inFIG. 1 with the set-top box 12 collecting the set-top box data 50 andgenerating the map view 70 based on obtained map data with annotationsbased on the set-top box data 50 as discussed herein. Referring now toFIG. 2B, the system 10 may be deployed such that a server 94 is locatedremotely with respect to the residential properties R₁ . . . R_(n), suchas in a cloud-based deployment, shown by cloud C. As shown, each of theresidential properties R₁ . . . R_(n) may respectively include set-topboxes 12-1 . . . 12-n, entertainment centers 14-1 . . . 14-n, anddisplays 16-1 . . . 16-n. As shown, the remote server 94 includes ahousing 96 having various components and software therein as will bediscussed in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7. In one embodiment, the set-topboxes 12-1 . . . 12-n send the set-top box data 50 periodically as partof regular broadcasts or in response to an inquiry made from the remoteserver 94. The remote server 94 receives the set-top box data 50 fromthe set-top boxes 12-1 . . . 12-2.

The remote server 94 or each of the set-top boxes 12-1 through 12-n incombination with the remote server 94 may render a map view 70 of therespective residential properties R₁ . . . R_(n) based on obtained mapdata with annotations based on the set-top box data 50 as discussedherein. In some embodiments, the map view 70 may include a graphicalrepresentation of one or more rooms of the residential properties R₁ . .. R_(n) that are annotated with set-top box data 50 relative to thephysical data 52, the physical quality assurance data 54, the programdata 56, the program quality assurance data 58, the interactive data 60,the environmental data 62, the smart device data 64, the identificationdata 66, and/or the self-diagnostic data 68. It should be appreciatedthat the remote server 94 may be remotely located to serve multipleproperties having multiple televisions.

Referring to FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, and FIG. 4, as used herein,set-top boxes, back boxes and set-top/back boxes may be discussed asset-top boxes. By way of example, the set-top box 12 may be a set-topunit that is an information appliance device that generally containsset-top box functionality including having a television-tuner input anddisplays output through a connection to a display or television set andan external source of signal, turning by way of tuning the source signalinto content in a form that can then be displayed on the televisionscreen or other display device. Such set-top boxes are used in cabletelevision, satellite television, and over-the-air television systems,for example.

The set-top box 12 includes the housing 20 having a panel 100 and a rearwall 102, front wall 104, top wall 106, bottom base 108, and twosidewalls 110, 112. It should be appreciated that front wall, rear wall,and side wall are relative terms used for descriptive purposes and theorientation and the nomenclature of the walls may vary depending onapplication. The rear wall 102 includes various ports, ports 114, 116,118, 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 that provide interfaces for variousinterfaces, including inputs 132 and outputs 134. In one implementation,as illustrated, the ports 114 through 128 include inputs 132 and outputs134 and, more particularly, an RF input 136, an RJ-45 input 138,universal serial bus (USB) input/outputs 140, an Ethernet category 5(Cat 5) coupling 142, an internal reset 144, an RS232 control 146, anaudio out 148, an audio in 150, and a debug/maintenance port 152. Thefront wall 104 also includes various inputs 132 and outputs 134. Moreparticularly, ports 160, 162, 164, and 166 include a 5V dc powerconnection 170, USB inputs/outputs 172, an RJ-45 coupling 174, and anHDMI port 176. It should be appreciated that the configuration of portsmay vary with the set-top box 12 depending on application and context.As previously alluded to, the housing 20 may include a housing-donglecombination including, with respect to the dongle 30, a unit 180 havinga cable 182 with a set-top box connector 184 for selectively couplingwith the set-top box 12.

Within the housing 20, a processor 200, memory 202, storage 204, theinputs 132, and the outputs 134 are interconnected by a bus architecture206 within a mounting architecture. It should be understood that theprocessor 200, the memory 202, the storage 204, the inputs 132, and theoutputs 134 may be entirely contained within the housing 20 or thehousing-dongle combination. The processor 200 may process instructionsfor execution within the computing device, including instructions storedin the memory 202 or in storage 204. The memory 202 stores informationwithin the computing device. In one implementation, the memory 202 is avolatile memory unit or units. In another implementation, the memory 202is a non-volatile memory unit or units. Storage 204 provides capacitythat is capable of providing mass storage for the set-top box 12.Various inputs 132 and outputs 134 provide connections to and from thecomputing device, wherein the inputs 132 are the signals or datareceived by the set-top box 12, and the outputs 134 are the signals ordata sent from the set-top box 12. A content signal input 208 and acontent signal output 210 are also secured in the housing 20 in order toreceive content from a source in the hospitality property and forwardthe content, including external content such as cable and satellite andpay-per-view (PPV) programing, to the display located within theresidential property.

A transceiver 212 is associated with the set-top box 12 andcommunicatively disposed with the bus 206. As shown the transceiver 212may be internal, external, or a combination thereof to the housing.Further, the transceiver 212 may be a transmitter/receiver, receiver, oran antenna for example. Communication between various amenities in theresidential property R and the set-top box 12 may be enabled by avariety of wireless methodologies employed by the transceiver 212,including 802.11, 3G, 4G, Edge, WiFi, ZigBee, near field communications(NFC), Bluetooth low energy and Bluetooth, for example. Also, infrared(IR) may be utilized.

The memory 202 and storage 204 are accessible to the processor 200 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 200 to execute a series of operations. As will be discussed infurther detail below, the processor-executable instructions, or aportion thereof, may be implemented on the set-top box 12, the remoteserver 94, or distributed between the set-top box 12 and remote server94. In some embodiments, the processor-executable instructions cause theprocessor 200 to receive interactive data 60, environmental data 62, andsmart device data 64 via the transceiver. As previously discussed,set-top box data 50 includes the interactive data 60, the environmentaldata 62, and the smart device data 64. The processor-executableinstructions cause the processor 200 to store the set-top box data 50.Further, the processor-executable instructions may cause the processor200 to receive and store physical data 52, physical quality assurancedata 54, and program data 56. As previously discussed, the physical data52, the physical quality assurance data 54, and the program data 56 areforms of set-top box data 50. The processor-executable instructions maycause the set-top box data 50 to be sent to the remote server 94.

The processor-executable instructions also cause the processor 200 torender a map view 70 of the residential property R based on obtained mapdata. The map view 70 may include an interactive graphicalrepresentation of the residential property R, the amenities, and anyproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable devices. Theprocessor 200 is then caused to annotate the interactive graphicalrepresentation of the residential property R with at least a portion ofthe set-top box data 50. The processor-executable instructions cause theprocessor 200 to send the annotated interactive graphical representationof the residential property R to the display 16, and then receive viathe transmitter an interactive instruction relative to the annotatedinteractive graphical representation of the residential property R.

In some embodiments, the processor-executable instructions cause theprocessor 200 to render a map view 70 of the residential property Rbased on obtained map data and the map view 70 may include a graphicalrepresentation of the residential property R. The processor-executableinstructions, when executed, may cause the processor 200 to render a 3-Dperspective view of the residential property R, a multi-floor view ofthe residential property R, a 2-D top plan view of at least a portionthe residential property R, a map view 70 of a floor of the residentialproperty R, or a map view 70 of a room of the residential property R,for example. The map view 70 may be a virtual model of at least aportion of the physical body of the residential property R, including avirtual model of the physical body of the residential property R.

In some embodiments, the processor-executable instructions cause theprocessor 200 to at least partially integrate or at least partiallycombine multiple portions of the set-top box data 50 into the graphicalrepresentation of the residential property R or room. Theprocessor-executable instructions may also include instructions thatcause the processor 200 to implement a map application configured toprovide a user interface and obtain instructions, such as interactiveinstructions, from a user on the desired map view 70 and annotations.Further, the processor-executable instructions may cause the map view 70to be integrated into an interactive portal.

Referring now to FIG. 5, one embodiment of the remote server 94 as acomputing device includes a processor 230, memory 232, storage 234,inputs 236, outputs 238, and a network adaptor 240 interconnected withvarious buses 242 in a common or distributed, for example, mountingarchitecture. In other implementations, in the computing device,multiple processors and/or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate,along with multiple memories and types of memory. Further still, inother implementations, multiple computing devices may be provided andoperations distributed therebetween. The processor 230 may processinstructions for execution within the remote server 94, includinginstructions stored in the memory 232 or in storage 234. The memory 232stores information within the computing device. In one implementation,the memory 232 is a volatile memory unit or units. In anotherimplementation, the memory 232 is a non-volatile memory unit or units.Storage 234 includes capacity that is capable of providing mass storagefor the remote server 94. Various inputs 236 and outputs 238 provideconnections to and from the remote server 94, wherein the inputs 236 arethe signals or data received by the remote server 94, and the outputs238 are the signals or data sent from the remote server 94. The networkadaptor 240 couples the remote server 94 to a network such that theremote server 94 may be part of a network of computers, a local areanetwork (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an intranet, a network ofnetworks, or the Internet, for example.

The memory 232 and storage 234 are accessible to the processor 230 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 230 to execute a series of operations. As previouslydiscussed, the processor-executable instructions, or a portion thereof,may be implemented on the set-top box 12, the remote server 94, ordistributed between the set-top box 12 and remote server 94. In oneembodiment, the processor-executable instructions cause the processor230 to receive the set-top box data 50 from the set-top box 12 as wellas receive the self-diagnostic data from the set-top box 12. Theprocessor-executable instructions may then cause the processor 230 tostore the set-top box data from the set-top box in a database, which maybe associated with the storage 234. The self-diagnostic data 68 from theset-top box 12 may also be caused to be stored in the database. Theprocessor-executable instructions then cause the processor to render amap view 70 of the residential property R based on obtained map data. Aspreviously discussed, the map view 70 may include a graphicalrepresentation of the room and a plurality of other rooms at thehospitality establishment. The processor-executable instructions maythen access the database and annotate the graphical representation ofthe room with at least a portion of the set-top box data 50.

In some embodiments, the processor-executable instructions cause theprocessor 230 to render a map view 70 of the residential property Rbased on obtained map data and the map view 70 may include a graphicalrepresentation of the residential property R. The processor-executableinstructions, when executed, may cause the processor 230 to render a 3-Dperspective view of the residential property R, a multi-floor view ofthe residential property R, a 2-D top plan view of at least a portionthe residential property R, a map view 70 of a floor of the residentialproperty R, or a map view 70 of a room of the residential property R,for example. The map view 70 may be a virtual model of at least aportion of the physical body of the residential property R, including avirtual model of the physical body of the residential property R.

In some embodiments, the processor-executable instructions cause theprocessor 230 to at least partially integrate or at least partiallycombine multiple portions of the set-top box data 50 into the graphicalrepresentation of the residential property R or a room within theresidential property R. The processor-executable instructions may alsoinclude instructions that cause the processor 230 to implement a mapapplication configured to provide a user interface and obtaininstructions from a user on the desired map view 70 and annotations.Further, the processor-executable instructions may cause the map view 70to be integrated into an interactive portal. The processor-executableinstructions may cause the processor 230 to send the map view 70 to theset-top box 12.

FIG. 6 conceptually illustrates the software architecture of ananalytics application 250 of some embodiments that may render the mapview 70 of the residential property R. In some embodiments, theanalytics application 250 is a stand-alone application or is integratedinto another application, while in other embodiments the application 250might be implemented within an operating system 280. In someembodiments, the analytics application 250 may be implemented within theset-top box 12. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the analyticsapplication 250 is provided as part of a server-based solution or acloud-based solution. In some such embodiments, the application isprovided via a thin client, which may be installed on the set-top box12. That is, the application runs on a server while a user interactswith the application via a separate machine remote from the server 94.In other such embodiments, the application is provided via a thickclient, which may be installed on the set-top box 12. That is, theapplication is distributed from the server 94 to the client machine andruns on the client machine.

The analytics application 250 includes a user interface (UI) interactionand generation module 252, management (user) interface tools 254,aggregator modules 256, filter modules 258, numerical decomposer modules260, discrete decomposer modules 262, assignment modules 264, propertyaccess module 266, and a map rendering application 268. The analyticsapplication 250 has access to historic property databases of set-top boxdata 270, real-time property databases of set-top box data 272, andpresentation instructions 274, which presents instructions from theoperation of the analytics operation 250. In some embodiments, storages270, 272, and 274 are all stored in one physical storage. In otherembodiments, the storages 270, 272, 274 are in separate physicalstorages, or one of the storages is in one physical storage while theother is in a different physical storage.

The UI interaction and generation module 252 generates a user interfacethat allows the end user to specify parameters that may be utilized togenerate an annotated map view of the hospitality establishment, whichmay include elements of a heat map. Prior to the generation of anannotated map view 70 of the hospitality establishment, the aggregatormodules 256 may be executed to obtain instances of set-top box data 50.In other instances, the set-top box data 50 is continually provided tothe analytics application 250 such that the aggregator modules 256 donot have to obtain instances of set-top box data 50 proactively. Theset-top box data 50 may also be filtered by the filter modules 258. Theaggregator modules 256 and the filter modules 258 cooperate, incombination, to gather the desired set-top box data 50.

At this time, the parameters have been established for the annotated mapview 70 of the hospitality establishment by default or by an end userutilizing the management (user) interface tools 254. The numericaldecomposer modules 260 may be executed to numerically decomposeinstances or summaries of set-top box data 50 gathered by the aggregatormodules 256 and the filter modules 258 by applying the selectedperformance characteristic or selected performance characteristics tothe instances of the set-top box data 50. The discrete decomposermodules 262 may be executed to containerize the decomposed set-top boxdata 50. In this manner, multiple containers may be defined that eachhave a range of values. The assignment modules 264 may be executed toassign a pre-map annotation element to each of the multiple containers.The property access module 266 may be executed to obtain data from thehistoric property databases of set-top box data 270 or the real-timeproperty databases of set-top box data 272. The map renderingapplication 268 may be executed to call a map rendering application 300of FIG. 7, for example.

In the illustrated embodiment, FIG. 6 also includes an operating system280 that includes input device driver(s) 282 and a display module 284.In some embodiments, as illustrated, the input device drivers 282 anddisplay module 284 are part of the operating system 280 even when theanalytics application 250 is an application separate from the operatingsystem 280. The input device drivers 282 may include drivers fortranslating signals from a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, tablet, touchscreen, gyroscope, accelerometer or speaker, for example. A userinteracts with one or more of these input devices, which send signals totheir corresponding device driver. The device driver then translates thesignals into user input data that is provided to the UI interaction andgeneration module 252.

FIG. 7 conceptually illustrates the software architecture of the maprendering application 300 of some embodiments that may render the mapview 70 of the residential property R. In some embodiments, the maprendering application 300 is a stand-alone application or is integratedinto another application, while in other embodiments the applicationmight be implemented within an operating system. In some embodiments,the map rendering application 300 may be implemented within the set-topbox 12. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the map rendering application300 is provided as part of a server-based solution or a cloud-basedsolution. In some such embodiments, the application is provided via athin client, which may be installed on the set-top box. That is, theapplication runs on a server while a user interacts with the applicationvia a separate machine remote from the server. In other suchembodiments, the application is provided via a thick client, which maybe installed on the set-top box. That is, the application is distributedfrom the server to the client machine and runs on the client machine.

The map rendering application 300 includes a UI interaction andgeneration module 302, graphics data tools 304, a cropping andstraightening tool 306, brush tools 308, effect tools 310, a tilt shifttool 312, gradient tools 314, a vignette tool 316, and an activationmanager 318. The image editing application has access to map servicefiles 320, set-top box source files 322, and editing instructions 324.In some embodiments, the map service files 320 may be vector graphicsdata files with texture identifiers or two or three dimensional mapimage files specified in one or more map tiles that may be raster-basedmap tiles, for example. The map service files 320 create a virtual modelof the physical body of the residential property R based on definitionsderived from any GIS resources, such as a geodatabase, address locationmap document or geoprocess model, or any two- or three-dimensionalCAD-based drawings and plans as well as architectural and buildingplans.

The set-top box source files 322 store operational instructions forprocessing set-top box data 50. The editing instructions 324 store theimage editing operations that the map rendering application 300 performsas a set of instructions. The map rendering application 300 uses theseset of instructions to generate new images based on the original datastored in the source files. In some embodiments, the map image filesand/or media content data are stored as .mov, .avi, .jpg, .png, .gif,pdf, .mp3, .bmp, .wav, .txt, .tiff, etc. files in the map service files320 and set-top box source files 322. In some embodiments, storages 320,322, and 324 are all stored in one physical storage. In otherembodiments, the storages 320, 322, 324 are in separate physicalstorages, or one of the storages is in one physical storage while theother is in a different physical storage.

In the illustrated embodiment, FIG. 7 also includes an operating system330 that includes input device driver(s) 332 and a display module 334.In some embodiments, as illustrated, the device drivers 332 and displaymodule 334 are part of the operating system 330 even when the imageediting application is an application separate from the operating system330. The input device drivers 332 may include drivers for translatingsignals from a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, tablet, touch screen,gyroscope, accelerometer or speaker, etc. A user interacts with one ormore of these input devices, which send signals to their correspondingdevice driver. The device driver then translates the signals into userinput data that is provided to the UI interaction and generation module302.

The present application describes a graphical user interface thatprovides users with numerous ways to perform different sets ofoperations and functionalities. By either executing a pre-determinedseries of editing instructions on a pre-determined set of media sourcefiles or receiving a selection of media processing operations, thepresent map rendering application 300 provides for a map view 70 of thehospitality establishment with the appropriate annotations of set-topbox data 50.

Referring now to FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, in one implementation, residentialproperty monitoring and optimization is provided in the form of adatabase, or as shown, in the map view 70 of the residential property Rincluding a graphical presentation 350 of a floor of the residentialproperty R, wherein particular rooms with set-top box data 50historically and in substantially real time permits a user or manager toselect the desired information and make optimal property managementdecisions. In particular, color-coding and hue assignment addsadditional understanding and visibility into housekeeping andmaintenance conditions as well as use. As shown, the residentialproperty R which is depicted as a home H, includes a first floor 352, asecond floor 354, a basement 356, and a yard 358. A living room 360, anentryway 362, and a kitchen 364 are located on the first floor 352. Inthe living room 360, the display 16 receives programming through theset-top box 12 which may provide cable programming or satelliteprogramming, for example.

Sensors are associated with various household amenities throughout thefirst floor 352, second floor 354, basement 356, and yard 358 of thehome H. The sensors may also be partially or fully integrated into theamenities. In one embodiment, each sensor or amenity is operable totransmit a wireless signal in response to an event occurrence associatedwith the respective household amenity, for example. As will be discussedfurther below, the event may be the ringing of a doorbell, the detectionof water, or the detection of a low battery, for example. Further, inone embodiment, each sensor is operable to transmit a wireless signal inresponse to a status request or periodically. The set-top box 12receives the wireless signals from the sensors and generates theaforementioned interactive portal 80. Such messaging provides atelevision viewer with the ability to monitor the status of home H anddetermine home awareness while engaged in watching televisionprogramming.

By way of example, the entryway 362 includes a front door 366 having adoorbell associated therewith. A sensor connected to the doorbell senseswhen the doorbell is rung and sends a corresponding wireless signal tothe set-top box 12, which incorporates an icon representative of“DOORBELL” into the interactive portal 80. The television viewer orviewers see the icon and are aware of the ringing doorbell whilewatching the television in the living room 360. This is particularlyuseful in instances where the television viewers have the televisionvolume excessively high or the doorbell amplifier and speaker issufficiently removed from the living room 360.

By way of further example, the kitchen 364 includes a number ofhousehold amenities such as a refrigerator 368 that is equipped with asensor that detects the status of the refrigerator door, i.e., open orclosed. When the refrigerator door is open for more than 30 seconds, forexample, a wireless signal is transmitted from the sensor to the set-topbox 12. The set-top box 12 includes an icon in the interactive portalmeaning “REFRIGERATOR DOOR AJAR”. A light 370 is another householdamenity that is located in the kitchen 364. A sensor associated with thelight 370 monitors the illumination sends an appropriate wireless signalto the set-top box 12. The proximate wireless enabled interactiveprogrammable device 46, which shown as a smart speaker, is located on acounter top in the kitchen 364 to communicate with the set-top box 12 aspreviously discussed.

The second floor 354 of the home H includes a study 372, a hallway 374,and a bedroom 376. As illustrated, a computer 378 is located in thestudy 372. A sensor associated with the computer 378 sends a wirelesssignal to the set-top box 12 in response to receiving an email. Atelephone 380 is sitting on a stand in hallway 374. A sensor associatedwith the telephone 380 monitors for an incoming call and broadcasts awireless signal in response thereto. The room 376 includes an entrypoint or window 382 having a sensor associated with a security system.The sensor broadcasts a wireless signal in response to the detection ofbroken glass or the opening of the window 382, for example.

Similarly, the basement 356 includes a number of household amenitieshaving sensors associated therewith that send wireless signals to theset-top box 12. A water shut-off box 384, a hot water heater 386, awasher and dryer 388, a freezer 390, and a sump pump 392 each have asensor that detects the occurrence of an event. The sensor associatedwith the water shut-off box 384 may detect the condition of the watervalve; namely open or closed. The sensor associated with the washer anddryer 388 alerts the television viewer when a load has finished washingor drying. The sensor associated with the freezer 390 detects an ajardoor and the sensor associated with the sump pump 392 broadcasts awireless signal upon detecting the presence of water.

The amenities found in yard 358 may also include sensors. A mailbox 394may include a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the mailboxdoor in order to provide an indication that mail has arrived.Additionally, a pet bowl 396 may include a sensor that detects theemptying of the food in the bowl. The household amenities describedherein encompass simple mailboxes to complex security systems.Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the home H utilizing thesystems presented herein permits members of the household to monitor anytechnology that the household is inclined to implement. In particular,the sensors may monitor household amenities relating to the environment,family comfort, utilities, appliances, and security. By way of furtherexample, the sensors may monitor the turning ON or OFF of particularlights, power usage, the opening and closing of a garage door, theturning ON and OFF of an iron, the freezing of a pipe, the presencewater leaks, the presence of gas or carbon monoxide (CO), temperatureand humidity, the efficiency of an HVAC system, and the presence ofsmoke or fire. Additionally, the system for home awareness may provideschedule reminders, medical alerts, and the like.

It should be understood that although only one display 16, a television,is illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the systems and methods presentedherein may be utilized in a multiple television or multiple displayenvironments wherein a monitoring unit associated with each displayreceives all or a portion of the wireless signals from the sensors andprovides the appropriate text messages. In one implementation, thecomputer 378 located in the study 372 is communicating with the set-topbox 12 so that a user of the computer 378 is provided with homeawareness.

In FIGS. 8A and 8B, by collecting the substantially real time andhistoric set-top box data from the residential property R, a map may beshown depicting data and information 400, for example. In particular,the kitchen 364 is highlighted to inspect the data status, which mayinclude the physical data 52, the physical quality assurance data 54,the program data 56, the program quality assurance data 58, theinteractive data 60, the environmental data 62, the smart device data64, the identification data 66, the self-diagnostic data 68, or anysubset or combination thereof. With this information and knowledge ofthe issue, individuals at the residential property R may appropriatelyadminister the strategy for organizing and coordinating the resources ofthe property. As mentioned, it should be appreciated that other types ofdatabases and charts may be prepared from the substantially real-timeinformation collected.

As shown, the graphical representation 350 of the kitchen 364 isannotated with the data and information 400. For example, the data andinformation 400 shows the status indicator 402 of the kitchen light 370as OUT and needing replacement, the refrigerator 368 has a closed doorand sodas are out as indicated by status indicators 404, 406, and thesmart device 46 is playing music as shown by status indicator 408.Residents use the map view 70 to gather real time information about thestatus of the residential property R and reports on any failures, forexample. To view the set-top box data 50 captured by the set-top box 12in each room or part of the residential property R, the map view userscan select a room from the map and appropriately click or tap on therooms and then select the set-top box data 50 or other processingoperations requested.

The system 10 presented herein provides for the management ofresidential property R. In one embodiment, an onsite or web-hosted,cloud-based property monitoring and troubleshooting tool is furnishedthat provides a graphical presentation 350 of the residential property Rwith historic and real time room status. By way of example and not byway of limitation, the user may select to annotate the map view 70 withrooms and amenities online/offline, rooms and amenity status.

Referring now to FIG. 9, one embodiment of a method for utilizingproperty management tools for the operation, control, and oversight ofresidential properties, for example, is depicted. The methodology startsat block 420 and progresses through blocks 422, 424, and 426 where,respectively set-top box data 50 is aggregated from status inquiries,broadcasts, and interactions with various amenities for example. Atblock 428, the set-top box receives a request to generate a map view ofthe residential property R. At block 430, the aggregated set-top boxdata is filtered according to a characteristic or characteristics. Atblocks 432 and 434, the set-top box data 50 is discretely decomposed andassigned annotation elements. At block 436, the digital representationof the physical location, e.g., the residential property R, is locatedand at block 438, the data correlation of the map annotation elements tothe digital representation occurs.

At decision block 400, if the map processing including any appliedannotations are based on a pre-selected or pre-stored or pre-definedcriteria, then the methodology advances to block 442 where theappropriate map view is rendered prior to block 444, where themethodology continues. On the other hand, at decision block 440, if userinput will be sought on the map view and annotations, then themethodology displays the map view at block 446. Then at block 448, theserver receives selection of media processing operations from the userand then applies the image processing operations at block 450. The mediaprocessing operations may include, for example, selecting the media tobe displayed and various luminance and color properties and such toprovide further visibility into the map view. At block 452, the map viewwith annotations is rendered prior to the methodology continuing atblock 444. At block 444, the set-top box receives an interactiveinstruction based on the map view and executes the instruction at block454. At decision block 456, if there are more interactive instructionsthen the methodology returns to block 444, otherwise the methodologyconcludes at block 458.

The order of execution or performance of the methods and data flowsillustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwisespecified. That is, elements of the methods and data flows may beperformed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methodsmay include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. Forexample, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particularelement before, contemporaneously with, or after another element are allpossible sequences of execution.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claimsencompass any such modifications or embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A set-top box comprising: a housing securing asignal input, a signal output, a processor, memory, storage, and awireless transceiver therein; a busing architecture communicativelyinterconnecting the signal input, the signal output, the processor, thememory, the storage, and the wireless transceiver therein; the signalinput configured to receive a source signal from an external source; thesignal output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a display;and the memory accessible to the processor, the memory includingprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: receive interactive data at the set-top box via theset-top box, the interactive data being, relative to the set-top box,information about display-based interactions with the set-top box,receive environmental data via the wireless transceiver, theenvironmental data being, relative to the set-top box, information aboutan amenity, the amenity being one of a plurality of amenities at aresidential property, the set-top box being co-located at theresidential property, receive smart device data via the wirelesstransceiver, the smart device data being information from a proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device interacting with theset-top box, store set-top box data at the set-top box, the set-top boxdata including the interactive data, the environmental data, and thesmart device data, maintain the set-top box data at the set-top box,render a map view of the residential property at the set-top box, themap view of the residential property based on obtained map data, the mapview including an interactive graphical representation of theresidential property, the plurality of amenities, and the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device, annotate theinteractive graphical representation of the residential property at theset-top box with at least a portion of the set-top box data, and sendthe annotated interactive graphical representation of the residentialproperty to the proximate wireless-enabled interactive device.
 2. Theset-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the residential property isselected from the group consisting of single-family homes, duplexes,townhomes, and apartments.
 3. The set-top box as recited in claim 1,wherein the processor-executable instructions further compriseprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to render a 3-D perspective view of the residential property.4. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein theprocessor-executable instructions further comprise processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor to render amulti-floor view of the residential property.
 5. The set-top box asrecited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructionsfurther comprise processor-executable instructions that, when executed,cause the processor to render a 2-D top plan view of at least a portionof the residential property.
 6. The set-top box as recited in claim 1,wherein the processor-executable instructions further compriseprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to render a map view of a room of the residential property. 7.The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executableinstructions further comprise processor-executable instructions that,when executed, cause the processor to store physical data, the physicaldata being, relative to the set-top box, specifications of hardware andcable connection arrangements at the time of installation.
 8. Theset-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executableinstructions further comprise processor-executable instructions that,when executed, cause the processor to store physical quality assurancedata, the physical quality assurance data being, relative to the set-topbox, physical state data of a current condition of hardware and cableconnections.
 9. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein theprocessor-executable instructions further comprise processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor to store programdata, the program data being, relative to the set-top box, informationabout system software and application software.
 10. The set-top box asrecited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructionsfurther comprise processor-executable instructions that, when executed,cause the processor to store program quality assurance data, the programquality assurance data being, relative to the set-top box, softwarestate data of current operations of system software and applicationsoftware.
 11. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the set-topbox data further comprises identification data, the identification dataincluding a location of the set-top box and information derived fromphysical data and program data.
 12. The set-top box as recited in claim1, wherein the set-top box data further comprises self-diagnostic data,the self-diagnostic data being information relative to faults inphysical data, physical quality assurance data, program data, programquality assurance data, the interactive data, and the environmentaldata.
 13. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the interactivedata is selected from the group consisting of guest configuration data,television channel viewing, program viewing, Internet history, andprogram guide interaction.
 14. The set-top box as recited in claim 1,wherein the environmental data is selected from the group consisting ofamenity interaction, lighting status, thermostat status, window shadesstatus, and door status.
 15. The set-top box as recited in claim 1,wherein the smart device data is data received from a device selectedfrom the group consisting of personal computers, laptops, smart phones,tablets, smart speakers, and smart watches.
 16. The set-top box asrecited in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises ahousing-dongle combination securing the signal input, the signal output,the processor, the memory, the storage, and an active sound controlcircuit portion therewith.
 17. The set-top box as recited in claim 16,wherein the processor and the memory are distributed through thehousing-dongle combination.
 18. The set-top box as recited in claim 1,wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of televisionsand electronic visual display devices.
 19. A set-top box comprising: ahousing securing a signal input, a signal output, a processor, memory,storage, and a wireless transceiver therein; a busing architecturecommunicatively interconnecting the signal input, the signal output, theprocessor, the memory, the storage, and the wireless transceivertherein; the signal input configured to receive a source signal from anexternal source; the signal output configured to forward a fully tunedsignal to a display; and the memory accessible to the processor, thememory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed,cause the processor to: receive interactive data at the set-top box viathe set-top box, the interactive data being, relative to the set-topbox, information about display-based interactions with the set-top box,receive environmental data via the wireless transceiver, theenvironmental data being, relative to the set-top box, information aboutan amenity, the amenity being one of a plurality of amenities at aresidential property, the set-top box being co-located at theresidential property, receive smart device data via the wirelesstransceiver, the smart device data being information from a proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device interacting with theset-top box, store set-top box data at the set-top box, the set-top boxdata including the interactive data, the environmental data, and thesmart device data, maintain the set-top box data at the set-top box,render a map view of the residential property at the set-top box, themap view of the residential property based on obtained map data, the mapview including an interactive graphical representation of theresidential property, the plurality of amenities, and the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device, annotate theinteractive graphical representation of the residential property at theset-top box with at least a portion of the set-top box data, and send atleast a portion of the annotated interactive graphical representation ofthe residential property to the proximate wireless-enabled interactivedevice.
 20. A set-top box comprising: a housing securing a signal input,a signal output, a processor, memory, storage, and a wirelesstransceiver therein; a busing architecture communicativelyinterconnecting the signal input, the signal output, the processor, thememory, the storage, and the wireless transceiver therein; the signalinput configured to receive a source signal from an external source; thesignal output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a display;and the memory accessible to the processor, the memory includingprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: receive interactive data at the set-top box via theset-top box, the interactive data being, relative to the set-top box,information about display-based interactions with the set-top box,receive environmental data via the wireless transceiver, theenvironmental data being, relative to the set-top box, information aboutan amenity, the amenity being one of a plurality of amenities on aresidential property co-located with the set-top box, receive smartdevice data via the wireless transceiver, the smart device data beinginformation from a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice interacting with the set-top box, store set-top box data at theset-top box, the set-top box data including the interactive data, theenvironmental data, and the smart device data, maintain the set-top boxdata at the set-top box, render a map view of the residential propertyat the set-top box, the map view of the residential property based onobtained map data, the map view including an interactive graphicalrepresentation of the residential property, the plurality of amenities,and the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,annotate the interactive graphical representation of the residentialproperty at the set-top box with at least a portion of the set-top boxdata, send via the wireless transmitter at the set-top box the annotatedinteractive graphical representation of the residential property to theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, and receivevia the wireless transmitter at the set-top box an interactiveinstruction relative to the annotated interactive graphicalrepresentation of the residential property.